If you have driven to work, gone for a jog, gotten a good night’s rest or opened your refrigerator lately, chances are that you have encountered a special type of plastic—polyurethane. Polyurethanes are a polymer composed of a chain of organic units, joined by urethane links.

Although not yet a “household name,” polyurethanes are prevalent in everyday life. Polyurethanes pad your car’s steering wheel and seats, form the soles of your shoes, cushion your mattress and help keep your fridge cold, among many other uses.